NASCAR Race Review: Subway Jalapeno 250

Welcome NASCAR race fans to my NASCAR blog. Friday night the NASCAR Nationwide Series raced in the Subway Jalapeno 250 race at Daytona International Speedway. Nationwide is giving away $100,000 in their Dash 4 Cash, open to Nationwide drivers in the top four in points. The eligible drivers are Elliott Sadler, Reed Sorenson, Justin Allgaier and Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. They will be giving the money in four races to the highest finisher of the four eligible drivers. (Chances are, they won’t be winning the race with the Sprint Cup drivers in the races.)

Kevin Harvick, Inc. cars make up the first two rows in this race, with 4 Harvick on the pole and 9 Tony Stewart next to him on the front row. 20 Joey Logano had to fix the clutch and will start the race from the rear. These days they race two by two, instead of in a big pack because the drivers figured out you go faster with a partner pushing you.

4 leads from the pole with 2 Elliott Sadler pushing him. 18 Kyle Busch pushes 6 Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. 33 Clint Bowyer has to pit from second with an issue and 9 has to find a new partner. He chooses 7 Danica Patrick. 6 finds team mate, 16 Trevor Bayne. 22 Brad Keselowski takes the lead with 88 Aric Almirola pushing him. 6 with 16 take the lead. 20 hooks up with team mate 11 Brian Scott. 7 with the help of 9 takes the lead from 4 and 2.

The first caution comes out when 52 Kevin Lepage gets in the way of 20 and 11 and 20 spins out. He was in seventh place. 9 pushes 7 into third. 15 Timmy Hill pushes 30 Ricky Carmichael, 30 blows a tire and spins into the wall, collecting 07 Danny Efland, bringing out the second caution. 13 Jennifer Jo Cobb gets back on the lead lap.

2 pulls in front of 4 after the Start/Finish Line to lead. 09 Kenny Wallace changed lanes before the Line and gets penalized. 31 Justin Allgaier hooks up with 18. 32 Reed Sorenson, with help from team mate, 38 Jason Leffler, takes the lead. 19 Mike Bliss pushes 14 Eric McClure a little too hard, shoving him into the wall and then into the grass, bringing out the third caution with 7 and 9 leading. The leaders pit. 33 Clint Bowyer gets his lap back.

4 comes in for fuel and adjustments and picks up 33 as a partner. At the restart 13 runs into the car ahead that didn’t get going and the car blows up, bringing out the fourth caution. (Eric McClure got out of the car and walked to the ambulance, but is being air lifted to the nearest Hospital for further evaluation.) 4 and 33 top off the fuel. 60 Carl Edwards leads with 1 Jamie McMurray pushing. 4 looses control, goes down the track, saves it and gets back with 33! 7 with 88 pushing takes the lead. 18 with 22 pushing takes the lead. 2 with 9 takes the lead.

The fifth caution comes out during the commercial. 4, pushing 33 to get by 1 and 60, hooks 33 into the wall. 1 is driving on the apron to save enough fuel to get to the pits. 9 and 2 are up front for the restart and 2 leads. 18 tries to block 88 and 7 and 88 gets into 18. 7 manages to save her car. 6 with help from 16 takes the lead.

87 Joe Nemecheck, pushing 97 Kevin Conway, gets 97 into the wall bringing out the sixth caution. They go Green with seven laps to go. 2 leads with 9 pushing. 7 and 88 run on top to take the lead. 2 and 9 take the lead back. 20 Joey Logano, being pushed by 18 wins the Subway Jalapeno 250 by .04 seconds over 38 Jason Leffler, being pushed by 32 Sorenson while there is carnage behind them. 01 Mike Wallace was trying to block and got in the way of several drivers and they get into each other. 01 got into 7 to start the malay. 32 Reed Sorenson wins the $100,000 and leads the points.

18 finishes fourth, followed by 31 Allgaier, 62 Michael Annett, 09 K. Wallace, 2 Sadler, 88 Almirola and 7 Patrick for the top ten. In points, Sorenson takes over the top spot, with Sadler, Stenhouse, Allgaier, Leffler, Almirola, K. Wallace, M. Wallace Scott and Annett making up the top ten.